6 Organizing Hacks That Make Your Bookshelf Look Like A Work of Art

If yours are jumbled, crammed, or just plain boring, Emily Henderson has your game plan. First things first: "Take everything off your shelves, so you can see what you've got. Plus, it's a great opportunity to toss anything you don't absolutely love." Then follow these gold-star tips.

To show off your stuff:

David Tsay

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1. Create little vignettes. Make books look special by lining up a few vertically on top of a horizontal stack. Or hang a small print behind another object, like a lamp. These groupings let your things shine.

2. Empty space is important too. In a few key spots, breathing room keeps full shelves from appearing cluttered. The shelf above this was packed, so I kept open space below it.

3. Be thoughtful about your books. Try to add a bold vase or a stack of boxes: It's nice to see a different shape nestled among a row of books. Don't go crazy organizing your books by color, but I do like mixing hues that pair well, like grays and blues or greens and yellows. It's pretty—and I promise, it will make you feel calm and organized.

For maximum storage:

David Tsay

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1. Put the things you don't access every day on top. Like extra blankets, old letters, items you can't part with but don't need. Then add something, like a lovely picture or object, to give the space polish.

3. Choose a color palette for your storage. My file holders corral tax returns and magazines—and that green looks so good with the natural tan of the baskets. If you can, set aside space at eye level for decorative things. It'll break up the monotony of boxes and bins.

3. Put the largest and heaviest storage vessels on the bottom. Shelves just look better when the bottom ones are fuller. It's a good idea to think about mixing up the shapes and sizes of your bins so it doesn't feel like a shelf at the Container Store—it looks like your lovely home.

Emily Henderson is a stylist, decorator, host of HGTV Design Star, mom, and author of the best-selling book Styled.

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